Nielsen Acquires The Perishables Group

Nielsen Holdings has acquired the Perishables Group, the industry expert in fresh food consulting and category development. Nielsen acquired all company assets including data, advanced analytic IP, tools and ongoing client work. All employees of the Chicago based company will join Nielsen’s North America Consumer Analytics team.

Nielsen will integrate perishables information and knowledge into its extensive retail measurement operation, providing a larger spectrum of insights across total store.

“Nielsen acquired the Perishables Group to drive increased value for our clients. With Perishables Group now fully part of the Nielsen organization, we can accelerate our work to integrate total-store information, thus providing a holistic picture of store-level activity,” said John Lewis, president and CEO, Consumer North America, Nielsen. “This complete view across all fresh departments – produce, deli, meat, seafood and bakery – provides a distinct advantage for all our clients, including retailers, packaged goods manufacturers and fresh food suppliers.”

Headquartered in Chicago and founded in 2000, the Perishables Group is the leader in providing customized information for the unique fresh food business environment, with expertise that spans the supply chain including consumer insights, data services, marketing communications and advanced analytics.

Bruce Axtman, president and CEO, the Perishables Group, said, “This acquisition is a natural evolution in the long working alliance we have had with Nielsen. Our focus remains on enhancing the insights we deliver into the fresh consumer. Our mission is to help retailers and fresh suppliers increase consumer value and improve business performance by helping them apply a consumer-based business model specific to the fresh food business environment.”

Axtman will continue to lead the group, now known as Nielsen Perishables Group, and the integration of the Perishables Group’s analytic capabilities into Nielsen’s offerings.